BERLIN (Reuters) -German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his likely successor, Friedrich Merz, promised no collaboration with the extreme right on Tuesday in speeches to parliament before national elections on February 23.

Viewers surveyed on Sunday thought that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) narrowly won the TV debate against his rival Friedrich Merz from the conservative CDU. In a survey conducted by the Forschungsgruppe Wahlen,

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz insists he would 'never' cooperate with the far right in the way he says his rival Friedrich Merz has done. Meanwhile, Merz said working with the AfD was out of the question.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his conservative rival Friedrich Merz faced off in a heated TV debate on Sunday, exactly two weeks before the country heads to the polls. Scholz attacked Merz - whose conservative CDU/CSU alliance is leading in the polls on around 30% ahead of the election on February 23 - over his decision last week to pass a motion on migration reform in parliament with votes from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

Social Democrat outperforms conservative rival Friedrich Merz on credibility and appeal in heated debate focusing on migration, economy and foreign affairs - Anadolu Ajansı

Chancellor Olaf Scholz struggled to land the decisive blow he urgently needs on conservative frontrunner Friedrich Merz in the first of two televised debates ahead of Germany’s snap election in two weeks.

With two weeks to go till Germany's Bundestag elections, the two men most likely to be voted chancellor held a heated debate on national issues. Follow DW for the latest.

German Chancellor Olaf Schlolz and his chief challenger in the upcoming elections, Friedrich Merz, agreed during a television debate on Feb. 9 that Berlin must continue supporting Ukraine and that Russia's war must end as soon as possible.